1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the recovery of refined petroleum pipeline products from various interface mixtures, more particularly removing tetraethyl or tetramethyl lead from jet fuels and fuel oils by means of a catalytic convertor which is operated in the liquid phase.
2. Prior Art
Refined petroleum products are often transported through interstate pipeline systems in "batched runs". A batched run comprises a plurality of refined products separated by "pigs" or spheres which travel through the pipeline. However, some mixing of the fluids cannot be avoided and a portion of the fluid before and after each pig must be taken off as an interface mixture. This interface mixture of the refined products is commonly referred to as "slop".
It has been the general practice in the prior art to mix this slop with crude oil to be re-refined. The prior art does not teach or suggest any system such as that disclosed herein for recovering refined petroleum products from "slop".
Catalytic converters are well known in the prior art; however, no prior art reference discloses a catalytic convertor operated in a liquid phase which adsorbs tetraethyl or tetramethyl lead components contaminating certain refined products such as jet fuels.